Safe or vault construction.



G. A. NEEDHAM.

sm on vAuu cowsrnuclow.

APPLlCATION HLED NUV- 3.19M-

Patented J une 11, 1918.

ATTORNEY 0 f v `i 5 ,sY Y v 2 GEORGE A. NEEDHAM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SAFE OIR. V'AULT CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1918.

Application filed November 3, 1914. Serial No. 870,012.

To all whom t may concer-n:

Be it known that l, GEORGE A. NEEDHAM, a citizen of the United States, residin in theborough of Brooklyn, city and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safe or Vault Constructions, of whichthe following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in safe or vault. constructions and has reference particularly to the construction of the doors therefor. The object of the inven# tion isto provide, so far as possible, a construction l that Will guard against every known'inethod of attack by burglars, both attacks by means of machine operations,

such as drilling and by the application of heat by means of acetylene gas apparatus andthe electric arc, and all methods of obtaining access to the interior of the safe or vault by the introduction of explosives at openings which may be made, or expanded suicientlyfor the introduction of such explosives being so far as the same can be anticipated, thus guarded against. ln a general Way,the improved construction may be described as comprising a door formed ofy @plurality of rigidly connected sections secured together and constructed in such a manner that the strength of the door increases progressively from the outside to the inside. In following out this design, the strength of the bolts and screws holding the various sections or layers of the door together is increased in each succeeding layer from the front of the door, the maximum strength of these securing devices being reached in. the resistance to shearing of the locking bolts carried by the innermost section of the door. The other details of construction are provided for the same end, namely, that it shall be made as ditl'icult as possible to effect an opening into any part of the construction and that it shall be necessary for a burglar who succeeds in effecting enough of an opening to introduce an explosive to tear the door apart plate by plate or section by section by repeated ex plosions, each operation consumln a considerable amount of time. The rame 1n which the door when closed is seated is also made as impervious to attack as possible so that it may not be possible to gain access to the locking devices for the door by attack through the door jamb. i More specifically my improved construction comprises a door in Which is embedded, in line With the bolt Work and locking de-` vices for the door, a `plate of steel formed of such a composition and in such a manner' as to be practically non-fusible at the highest temperature which can. be achieved by the acetylene gas and other heat producing apparatus now used by safe crackers. Further, a chamber is provided Within the interior of the door, extending to the periphery thereof, in which chamber gases produced by an explosion may harmlessly expand when an explosive has been introduced into the openingr between the periphery of the outery section of the door and its seat, thus protecting the inner sections of thel door against the effects of such explosion.y One of the inner plates of the door, preferably the non-fusibleplate referred to, through which the bolt cr lock operating spindle or spindles extend is provided with a concavity or recess surrounding the spindle with channels extending to the explosive chamber referred to so that if an explosive be introduced into the opening between the spindle and its bearing surfaces, the same Will be caught by the recess, and the explosive mixture, and the gases produced by its explosion, caused to pass through the channels referred to into y struction, one or more sections or plates Within the body of the door are formed of chrome steel of a character such that is practically impossible to drill through the same.. f

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention. In the drawings, Figure l represents a horizontal central section through my improved safe or vault with the door mounted in closed position therein, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2 2 of Fig.V 1.

Referring to the drawings, the door, represented generally by the numeral 1, may be of any desired and suitable shape. As shown, it is of rectangular section, but it may be frustoconical or of other shape. It is seated in a door jamb member 2 secured to the wall 3. The door may be mounted in any suitable manner for movement into and out of its closed osition, this means as illustrated comprising a crane 4 secured to the door and pivoted on the shaft 5 carried by a bracket or lug 6 secured to the door jamb member 2. The door may be secured in closed position by any suitable means, such as the bolts 7 which are adapted to slide in lugs or brackets 8 extending inwardly from the inner or rear face of the door. These bolts may be controlled 'by any suitable combination or time lock (not shown), or by both together, the locking means being` operated by any suitable means, such as the spindle 9, which may be rotated by means of the dial or dials 10 mounted on the front of the door.

The door, as stated, is composed of a plurality of rigidly connected sections designed to afford the `greatest possible amount of protection against attack by drilling or other machine operations, fusion, or shattering by explosion. In the preferred form of my invention illustrated, the face plate 11 is mounted upon the outer section 12 composed of armor steel which is of great toughness and hardens and is nearly, if not quite, unmachinable. Immediately to the rear of section or plate 12, I mount, in my preferred construction, a plate 13 of less thickness than plate 12, composed of chrome steel, which is quite impervious to attack by drilling and similar operations. To the rear of plate 13, but spaced apart therefrom, is a section 14, preferably formed of cast steel of a hard and tough composition. To the rear of section 14 is secured another plate 15 of chrome steel, and to the rear of plate 15 is a steel plate or section 16 from the inner face of which extend the lugs 8 in which bolts 7 are mounted. Preferably, the plate 14 has the greatest thickness of the various sections and the chrome steel plates 13 and 15 need not be of great thickness because of the extreme hardness of the same. In my preferred construction, a chamber or chambers 17 are provided between plates 13 and 14, adjacent the periphery of the door and extending preferably to the periphery of the door so that any liquid explosive which might be introduced between the eriphery of the front plate of the door and) the door jamb may be trapped in chamber 17 and it may thus be rendered impossible to introduce explosives in a single operation between the door jamb and both the inner and the outer sections of the door. The various sections of the door are secured together bv bolts or screws or other securing means, the strength of which, as stated, should preferably be so calculated that the strength of the means securing together adjacent sections progressively increases from the outer to the inner sections. Certain of these screws are illustrated in the drawings at 18. The screws 18 which pass through chamber 17 may be provided with spacing members 19 in -the chamber through which members the screws pass, members 19 forming separated reinforcing or stitening means for the front and rear Walls of the chamber.

` In my preferred construction, a plate 20 is interposed between sections 13 and 14 of the door, this plate surrounding the lock operating spindle 9, chamber 17 extending peripherally around the plate 20. Plate 20 is designed to afford the greatest possible protection to the bolt work and locking means on the back of the door against attack by the application of heat. Plate 20 is preferably composed of a special cast steel, which is practically non-fusible. In the manufacture of plate 20, an opening is preferably left at the central portion thereof in which is'mounted a disk or bearing member 21 of softer material in which the spindle 9 is mounted. Member 21 is preferably coneaved or provided with a recess 22 on its front face surrounding the spindle 9 extending therethrough, and channels 23 are provided in the face of plate 20 connecting recess 22 With the peripheral explosive chamber 17, so that if it be lpossible for a safe blower to introduce a liquid explosive between the surface of spindle 9 and its bearing in the outer plate of the door, the same will be caught in recess Q2 and caused largely to pass from the same by means of channels Q3 into chamber 17.

As stated, plate Q0 furnishes protection for the central portion of the door, or the portion in line with the locking devices at the rear against attack by burning or melting. Further protection of the same character for the bolts and locking devices is provided by the core member or members Q4 within the body of plate 14. These core members are formed of a suitable practically non-fusible or ditiicnltl i fusible composition or material, plate 14 being cast about the same completely in the process of manufacture. As many of these core members 24 are provided as is deemed desirable, then same being preferably so spaced as to aifordprotection` for the`,`locking and securing devlces at the rear of the'door, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The doorjamb orl seat 2 is preferably made of sections rigidly secured togetherVv in the same manner as theldoor. illustrated, member 2 comprises a main Icast steel portion 25 formed with a core member 26 of non-fusible` and non-burnable material which may be of the same nature as,core

members 24 in plate 14, core members 26 having, it' desired, a number of reinforcing rods 27 extending therethrough. A chrome steel plate 28 is preferably provided to the rear of member 25 in line with the chrome steel plate 15 of the door when the latter is seated in closed position and a steel plate 29 may be secured to the rear of the same to which are secured the plates 30 with which the bolts 7 coact when the latter are shot. In the construction illustrated, the lock or locks governing the operations of the bolts are contained within the casing 31 secured to the rear section of the door.

It is obvious that destruction of the door described can only be achieved, if at all, by successive demolition of the various sections of the door, that the construction of the door and the member' in which the door is seated coact to resist so far as possible attack either through the body of the door or through the door jamb or between the two, and by the employment of the various sections of unmachinable chrome steel, hard and extremely tough armor or other special steel, special non-burnable steel and nonburnable core material in the main inner section of the door, a practically impregnable construction is provided. It should also be noted that the construction described provides an explosive chamber or chamber situated back of a front section and in front of rear sections forming a laminated construction. The laminated construction of the parts back of the chamber results in these parts having a certain amount of resilience to withstand the shock of an explosion in the chamber. This is so, partly because of the arrangement of a plurality of plates or sections secured together, and more particularly because of the provision of the core pockets with core material 24 therein, to the rear of the explosive chamber or chambers, and in liuc therewith. The laminated construction, and particularly the core members 24, give a cushioning effect to the force of an explosion in the chamber. If desired, the explosive chamber need not be continued entirely to the periphery of the door, or if extended to the edges, may have metal or other material positioned therein adjacent the edges of the door, wholly or partlv Afilling up the outer openings Iof'` the chamber," in which case `it, `would perform the function of acting as an lexplosivecham? berifor explosive `introduced along side the spindle 9, or throughany other opening leading to the chamber," but would not so act forexplosive introduced between the door and its seat, if theouter edges of the chamber were entirely blocked up. The explosive chamber will act as such, it should be noted, in caseexpl'osive is` introduced along the line of any screw or other coifn'ecti'ng means passing through the chamber.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited absolutely to the details of construction described, but the same is as broad as is indicated in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows 1. In a safe or vault, a door having a front section formed of armor steel, a section formed of chrome steel secured thereto behind the same, and other sections secured behind and to said chrome steel section, including a second section of chrome steel separated from said first chrome steel section, and an integral section of east steel between said chrome steel sections, said east steel section containing a core of difticultlyfusible material entirely inelosed within the same, substantially as set forth.

2. In a safe or vault, the combination of a door formed of rigidly connected sections, having locking means carried by the rear section, a spindle for operating said locking means, extending through said sections, means for preventing explosives introduced between said spindle and its bearing from destroying a rear section, and means in line with said locking means for protecting the same from attack by heat, substantially as set forth.

3. In a safe or vault, the combination of a frame having a door jamb formed of a plurality of sections rigidly secured together, comprising a forward member designed to be proof against attack by the application of heat and a rear member of diiiicultly machinable metal, and a door adapted to seat in said door jamb, formed of a plurality of sections rigidly secured together, said door carrying locking means on the rear thereof, and comprising members of diiiicultly machinable metal, and a member directly in front of said locking means, designed to withstand attack by the application of heat, substantially as set forth.

4. In a safe or vault, a door having a front section, an explosive chamber to the rear of the front section, and an integral cast-metal member to the rear of said chamber having a recess Within the mass of the same, and a core member of diicultly-fusible material in said recess entirely, s aid recess being berecess in its forward side surrounding said hlnd and 1n line Wlth sald chamber, substancyllndrlcal member, and a channel in its fortally as set forth. Ward side extending from said rece to said 5. In a, Safe or vault, a door having front chamber, substantially as set forth. 5 and rear sections arranged to provide anex- This specification signed and witnessed l plosive chamber between the saine, a cylinthis 27th day of Gotober, 1914. drcal member extendingr through the door I GEORGE A. NEEDHAM. from front to beck, and a plate within the Witnesses: body of the door through which said cylin- DYER SMITH, 10 drical member extends, said plate having a v I. MGINTOSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Qommissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G.

Corrections in It is hereby Certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,269,206,` granted June 11, 1918, upon the application of George A. N eedham7 of Brooklyn, NY., for an improvement in Safe or Vault Construction, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 127, claim 4, after the Word "recess insert the Word entirely; page 4, line 1, Claim 4, strike out the Word entirely,l and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may oonform to the record of the oase in the Patent Oflioe.

Signed and sealed this 23d day of July, A. D., 1918.

[st-EAL] l R. lr. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissione/r of Patents. Cl. 10Q-l.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,269,206,

granted June 11,1918,

upon the application of George A. Needham, of Brooklyn, N. Y., for an improvement in Safe or Vault Construction, errors appear in the printed speeieation requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 127, claim L, after the Word recess insert the Word entirely; page 4, line 1, claim 1,.'strike out the Word entirely, and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may eenform to the record of the ease in the Patent Olliee.

Signed and sealed this 23d day of July, A. D., 1918.

[SEAL] i R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Y Acting Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents. t Cl. 10Q-1.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,269,206, granted June 11, 1918, upon the application of George A.Nvmlimn1,ol` Bronklyn, N. Y., for an improvement in Safe 0r Vault Construction," errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 127, duim 4, after the werd recess insert the Word entireZg/,puge 4, line 1,01aim 4, strike out the Word entire1y"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the seme may Conform t0 the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed and sealed this 23d day of July, A. D., 1918.

[SEAL] n. if. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. C1. 109L 

